Method of molding concrete ships



E. FREYSSINET. 4 HETHGD 0F HOLDING CONCRETE SHIPS.

Arrucmon mfp :un: 12. 191s.

1,349,826, rammed Aug. 17,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

E. FREYSSINET.

METHOD or Mmmm; coucREE SHIPS.

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APPLICATION FILED JUNE 12| i918.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFlcE.

EUGNE rnEYssINE'r, 0F PARIS, FRANCE, AssIGNoR Tosoom'rE DES NAVIRES EN i CIMENT AnM, or PARIS, FRANCE.

METHOD 0F MOLDING CONCRETE SHIPS.

To all 'whom 'it may concern:

Beit known that I, EUoNn FRnYssINn'r, a citizen of the Republic of France, residing in Paris, France, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in `Methods of Molding Concrete Ships, of which the followingis a specification.

In specification Serial No. 289,443; filed June 11, 1918 there has been described a process for constructing ships and like vessels of reinforced coneretein which cellular walls are cast homogeneously, it being possible by the process to form the cells in series by any method of working while at the same time securing a high degree of resistance and uniformity and a durable impermeability after formation.

The present invention relates to modified methods of making constructions having similar properties and presenting some fur-` ther advantages owingto the particular arrangements adopted.

According to the invention the sides of the hull are formed of two walls spaced a certain distance apart and connected by transverse beams placed in position prior to the pouring of the walls, said beams forming a skeleton on which the walls are constructed. The `external and internal walls which constitute the outside and inside planking, as well as the bottom of the vessel, and the deck, the construction of which does not present any peculiarity, are advantageolilsly constituted by surfaces having a continuous metallic skeleton comprising elements of great length which, if necessary, may carry loops 7i, such as have been described in specification Serial No. 238,579, filed June (S, 1918.

For constructing and casting at one operation each of the wal s, the beams, castas a preliminary operation and having on their edges suitable scarings, are suspended from the framing and to the scarfings are applied metallic skeletons, such as those about to be indicated, of the inner and outer plankings. -In this manner, the outer wall will have the feature known to be an essential for this kind of work in naval construction, namely a continuous surface, even if the beams present irregularities.`

Vhen the reinforcement or skeleton hasE are attached `thereto and to the beams,

ducted with a concrete or any other suitable `Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .Tune 12, 1918. Serial No. 239,587.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

mixture. Said molding boards.` being attached to the skeleton have no connection with the ground, and hence are free to assume the shape of the skeleton.

The accompanying drawings are given by way of example to illustrate the invention.

Figure l is a diagrammatic cross section through a ship in the process of construction and of the framing which supports it.

`Fi gs. 2 and 3 illustrate the construction lof the beams.

Fig. 4L isa vertical section through a side of the hull showing the reinforcement of the two walls' and showing the molding boards for the casting operation.

Fig. 5 is a plan.

In this instance, the side walls have the cellular' structure referred to, and the bottom and the deck are formed solely by pro longations of the external wall. It is obvious however' that the inner wall could be extended either across `the bottom or to the deck of the ship. ,i

shown in Fig. 1, the beams A are suspended from a framing B, for the purpose of putting in position the metallic skeletons of the inner and outer walls, and are con nected at their lower part by beams C to complete the skeleton of the ship. The beams are suspended at their upper-ends by devices of adjustable length so that the beams can easily be brol'lght` into exact position; to prevent them from being displaced they may be connected together by any provisional system of tic rods.

` The first operation in the method. of construction consists in the manufacture of the beams. For making them rapidly in series while at the same time facilitating the for- -mation`of the metallic scarfings required at their edges, the followingsimple method has been adopted The beam is made on a flat floor, such is represented at a in Fig. 2, andFig. 2 being a vertical section of the arrangement, and Fig. 3 being a plan` To make the mold for the concrete, planks or boards are fixed on the floor, the space between them havingthe required shape of the beam; the thickness of the planks corresponds with the distance which is to be maintained between the reinforcing members and the ex Y,ternal surface of: the concrete. i

0n. the planks b are then placed distance or spacing pieces c fastenedto the planks and of thickness equal to that of the reinforcing rods. These distance pieces serve to keep in place theV first transverse elementsV el of the. reinforcement whichV are placed in a direction perpendicular to the general directionof the beam and extend beyond the planks b between the distance pieces c.

The first grill of-reinforcing wires having been constructed, planksc, of the same form as the planks Z), are superimposed upon the A latter; the thickness of these planks e is equal to the distance to be maintained between Y Ytwo Vreinforcing grills. Within the framing e thus formed there are arranged the longitudinal.reinforcing members f7" extendingalso beyond the framing and resting on the Vmembers (l. Next there are placed on the planks c, a second series of transverse reinforcing members L and longitudinal reinforcing rods z' identical with those of the rst series.

, If the thickness of the beam is to be limited to the four sets of reinforcing rods thus brought into position, and this is the general case, the molding is finished by planks j identical with Z) and is then filled with concrete or other material selected.

The casting or pouring can be performed without diiliculty, since the distance pieces lill up the spaces between the members cl and 11 in the same layer. When the opera-tion is Acompleted the planks Y) c y' are easily'lifted away by slightly bending the ends of the members al and L'.

All the-beams A having been suspended as described above, and connected by the beams C, the whole forms a skeleton reprodueing exactly the form of the hull to be constructed and completely accessible over its whole surface; .it is now a simple operation to put into position the rods or members constituting the reinforcement of the walls.

The reinforcement .of the outer wall of the wholeV hull and of therbottom is iirst constructed by applying metal grills or networks previously made with continuous elements, as'has been described in specification Serial No. 238,579. Y

ABy reason of the continuity of the elements ofthe reinforcements and of the mobility of the framing formed by the suspended beams, these networks or grills will Y acquire a uniform curvature. VIt will therements of the beam Aare bent at the part Where they pass between the vertical rods lo so Yas to engage beneath the longitudinal rods or elements Z.

In this manner, the grills, such as that in the wall E, are fixed in place without supports or special framing.

This operation having been con'lpleted the mold in which the wall is to be cast in a single operation, is constructed and exactly connected with the scarlings of the beams.

At the bottom the mold will be supported by props D of ordinary form.

For the outer wall, the mold is constructed of planks m supported by pieces of iron or wood n attached to the reinforcement by connecting wires or bars, such as o, so as to be at a distance from the reiii'lorcement equal to the thickness of the concrete which is to be cast between the reinforcement and the surface, plus the thickness of the planks m.

If the consistency of the material that is poured or cast permits, only one mold on one of the faces is necessary. lVhen the material is poured, the operation is started at the bottom and then continued at the outer wall.

Then the operation is complete the reinforcement of the internal wall lf is then constructed and connected in manner similar to that already described for the external wall with the reinforcing elements of the beams and of the bottom by means of scariings provided for the purpose.

The beams C, which were used for keeping the beams A in proper position are now useless and may be removed. The casting of the internal wall is an operation similar to that described for the external wall. Finally, the reinforcement of the deck is constructed and the deck is cast, care being taken to leave manholes permitting access to each cell bound by neighboring beams the internal wall and the external wall.

-lVhen the ship is finished it may be turned about a point on its keel so as to give it the inclination necessary for launching. T his operation of pivoting, for which, however, may be substituted any other method of inelining the ship, is made possible by reason of the great rigidity conferred on the whole by the mode of construction.

It will be seen that the process has in addition to the facility of construction and the high degree of forced work to which it lends itself, great advantage in respect of simplicity over the processes heretofore used. Among others, one may note a` total omission of scaiiolding for supportingr the mold and the possibility of using existing framing for several ships; linally, the easy mode of obtaining continuous forms for the keel because of the possibility of inherently obtaining continuous surfaces.

Another very important advantage is thatrthe two walls are very easily constructed substantially parallel and are very firmly connected together forming a solid whole of very large radius, able to resist very great crushing forces in various directions.

The foregoing details are given solely by Way of example and can be modified to suit the particular circumstances Without varying the essential features of the invention.

What is claimed is zl. A process for manufacturing reinforced concrete boats, consisting in constructing beams having reinforcing rods With projecting ends, suspending said beams from a framework in such manner that said frames may be capable of conforming movements, attaching to the outer sides of said beams continuous reinforcements going from one end to the other of the boat in the longitudinal direction, then on the interior sides of said beams applying similar reinforcements, bending in the ends of the rods projecting from the beams upon the reinforcements of the exterior and interior Walls, attaching upon the reinforcements of said interior and exterior Walls, exteriorly and interiorly, a form or mold taking the form of the said reinforcements, simultaneously pouring cement in the several molds or forms, and removing the molds or forms.

2. A process for manufacturing reinforced concrete boats, consisting 1n constructing beams hav-ing reinforcing rods with projecting ends, suspending said beams from a framework in such manner that said frames may be capable of conforming movements, 'attaching to the outer sides of said beams continuous reinforcements going from one end to the other of the boat in the longitudinal direction, then on the interior sides of said beams applying similar reinforcements, bending in the ends of the rods projecting from the beams upon the reinforeements of the exterior and interior walls, attaching upon the reinforcements of said interior and exterior Walls, exteriorly and interior-ly a flexible form or mold talring the form of the said reinforcements, simultaneously pouring cement in the several molds or forms, and removing the molds or forms.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EUGENE rEEYssINET.

Witnesses (l1-ras. P. PnEssLY, GABRIEL BELLIARD. 

